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              Home / Services / Lynn Heart Institute / Services & Facilities / Structural Heart Program

              Structural Heart Program

              The Structural Heart Program at the Christine E. Lynn Heart & Vascular Institute offers innovative treatments and high quality care for patients with heart disorders all within a state-of-the-art facility.

              Our Program is comprised of a collaborative team of interventional cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the valves and other vital structures of the heart. Patients benefit from our personalized, coordinated care and comprehensive range of treatment options.

              For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Beverly Mendes, ARNP, MSN, PhD, Program Coordinator, at 561.955.5467.

              Innovative Techniques and Treatments

              Advanced Percutaneous Left Ventricular Hemodynamic Support with Impella device

              A left ventricular assist device that can provide hemodynamic support in patients with decompensated heart failure with poor left ventricular function undergoing high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention or who developed cardiogenic shock after a myocardial infarction.

              Atrial septal defect (ASD) repair

              A hole in the wall that separates the top two chambers of the heart. This defect allows oxygen-rich blood to leak into the oxygen-poor blood chambers in the heart. ASD is a defect in the septum between the heart's two upper chambers (atria). The septum is a wall that separates the heart's left and right sides. Through a minimally invasive technique using a catheter inserted through the groin into the heart and a plug, under X-ray/echocardiography guidance, the hole can be closed.

              Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)

              Percutaneous coronary intervention is a non-surgical procedure used to treat narrowing of the coronary arteries of the heart. After accessing the blood stream through the femoral or radial artery, the procedure uses coronary catheterization to visualize the blood vessels on X-ray imaging. After this, an interventional cardiologist can perform a coronary angioplasty, using a balloon catheter in which a deflated balloon is advanced into the obstructed artery and inflated to relieve the narrowing. Certain devices such as stents can be deployed to keep the blood vessel open. Complex interventions under hemodynamic support with the IMPELLA device can be performed.

              Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy Intervention

              Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a complex and heterogeneous disease with different anatomical variants, physiologic manifestations and genetic underpinnings. Even asymptomatic patients with HCM are at potential risk for sudden cardiac death and require risk stratification and consideration of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator for primary or secondary prophylaxis. Through surgery or a catheter-based intervention, an associated intra-cardiac muscular obstruction can be corrected.

              Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) repair

              A hole in the wall that separates the top two chambers of the heart. A PFO can only occur after birth when the foramen ovale fails to close. The foramen ovale is a hole in the wall between the left and right atria of every human fetus. This hole allows blood to bypass the fetal lungs, which cannot work until they are exposed to air. When a newborn enters the world and takes its first breath, the foramen ovale closes. When it remains open, it is called a patent foramen ovale. Using a catheter, under X-ray/echocardiography guidance, the hole can be closed.

              Percutaneous Balloon Aortic and Mitral Valvuloplasty

              Balloon valvuloplasty is a procedure that widens a heart valve that is narrowed. During this procedure, a thin flexible tube called a catheter is inserted through an artery in the groin and threaded into the heart. When the tube reaches the narrowed heart valve, a balloon at the end of the tube is inflated. The balloon widens the valve opening.

              Percutaneous Paravalvular Leak Repair

              A catheter is inserted into the femoral artery or vein in the groin. A wire is guided through the catheter into the heart. A leak is identified around a previously implanted artificial aortic or mitral valve. A special catheter is used to place a closure device through the leak. The closure device acts like a plug to stop the leakage.

              Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)

              TAVR delivers an artificial replacement valve through a catheter inserted through a small incision in the groin or between the ribs. The replacement valve collapses to a very small diameter and is attached to a balloon device. The new valve is then positioned inside the natural aortic valve, inflated and pushes the faulty valve aside. The replacement valve begins to function as soon as the balloon deflates to permit the flow of blood. Complex TAVR procedures in failing surgical aortic and mitral valves are also performed.

              Read the press release

              Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair with MitraClip® Therapy (TMVR)

              The MitraClip procedure is a minimally invasive catheter-based therapy. It is performed using venous access and real-time imaging, thereby avoiding cardiopulmonary bypass. The MitraClip system utilizes a cobalt chromium clip covered with a polypropylene fabric that grasps both the anterior and posterior mitral valve leaflets, thereby reducing mitral regurgitation (MR) by increasing the coaptation between the failing valve leaflets.

              Our Team

              Carlos Velez, MD, FACC, FSCAI

              Male DoctorDirector, Structural Heart Disease Interventions Program

              Dr. Velez obtained his medical degree from the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia School of Medicine in Lima, Peru. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. He then completed a fellowship in cardiovascular diseases at the William Beaumont Hospital and another in cardiovascular/endovascular intervention at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle and at The Western Pennsylvania Hospital, Temple University in Pittsburgh. Then, he pursued a fellowship in advanced cardiovascular/endovascular intervention at Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans and a dedicated fellowship in structural heart diseases interventions at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Dr. Velez is one of a few physicians with a dedicated structural heart diseases interventions fellowship training in South Florida.

              Richard Cartledge, MD, FACS

              Male DoctorChief of Cardiovascular Surgery

              Dr. Cartledge is fellowship trained
              in cardiovascular surgery from New York Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and in thoracic surgical oncology from Memorial Sloan Kettering both in New York. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania and performed his residency at Mercer University School of Medicine, The Medical Center of Central Georgia. Dr. Cartledge is a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, a specialist in heart valve surgery and a regional pioneer of minimally invasive heart valve surgery. Dr. Cartledge performs on and off-pump CABG, complex mitral valve repair, thoracic aortic surgery, minimally invasive lung surgery and many other procedures.

              Alexander Kulik, MD, FACC

              Male DoctorThoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon

              Dr. Kulik obtained his medical degree from the University of Toronto Medical School and completed his cardiac surgery residency training at the
              University of Ottawa Heart Institute. He obtained his fellowship board certification from the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada and then participated in an advanced aortic surgery fellowship at the Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis. Thereafter, he developed expertise in endovascular surgery within fellowship training at the Arizona Heart Institute in Phoenix. During his surgical training, Dr. Kulik obtained a Master’s in Public Health from Harvard University.

              Beverly Mendes, MSN, ARNP, PhD

              Female DoctorProgram Coordinator

              Beverly Mendes is an adult care nurse practitioner who received her Master’s Degree in Nursing with specialization in administrative management from the University of Phoenix Southern California campus. She obtained her Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Degree from the University of Connecticut. She completed her Doctorate Degree in Nursing at Rocky Mountain University in Provo, Utah. Her background and clinical experience in structural heart is focused on program development, patient centered care, education and research.

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